Label-applying mechanism



June 29 1 926.

P. H. G RIMM El AL LABEL APPLYING MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 27', 1 2 (Sheds-Sheet 1 glVl-ZNTORS:

. @1455: 4%? 7 By Attorneys, Grumman QM:

June 29 1926. 1,590,367.

P. H. GRIMM ET AL I LABEL1 APPLYING MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 27, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig/Z..

330 3&9

INVENTOR W a;- M)

By Attorneys,

June 29 ,1926. 1,590,367

. P. H. GRIMM ET AL I I LABEL APPLYING MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 27, 1921 4 heets-Sheet 5 Fig .5.

' NVENTORS M a4- -&a'd,

By A ttorneys;

June 29 1926.

' 1,590,367 P H. G'RIMM ET AL LABEL APPLYING MECHANISM Y Original Filed Jan. 27, 1921 4 SheetS-Shget 4.

l 'llll INVENTORS y (7% J I By Attorneys,

Patented June 29, 1926 stares PAUL H. GREVIM, or GLEN covnnnn FRAnK L. COCKS, or nnoorzriyn, naw "roan, assrenons TO ARBUCKLE BROTHERS, on NEW YORK, n. Y., A FIRM coivrrnrsrne WILLIAM A. JAMISGN, oarnnnmna. JAIvIISON, AND orrarsrrna aanocizria.

LABEL-APPLYING MECHANISM.

Original-application filed. January 27, 1921, Serial No; 440,378. Divided and this application filed February 16, 1923.

This invention relates to mechanismfor Serial no. 619,418. I

This is best accomplished by first causing applying labels to articlesor packages. The pads to which a thin coating of paste or mechanism is especially constructed and 1 glue has been applied, to press against the adapted for use in a machine for applying --ends of the package; as these recede, plungan outer wrapper around a package, the ends ers advance and press gummed labels or seals of this wrapper being folded inward to form against the end flaps, so that each label adend flaps, and these fiaps being sealed by heres to the end flaps and holds them closed the cementing against them of labels. The together. -Each label-affixing device comlabel-applying mechanism of thepresentinprises a label-holding cartridge or magazine 1 vention may be otherwise useful or availwhich is carried by a plunger and contains .able. a stack of labels pressed forward by an in- The present application is a division of ternal spring, the end label being pulled out our application for patent for package wrapat each movement by its adhesion to the end ping machines, filed January 27, 1921, Serial of the package. The next advancemove- 15 No. 440,378. 'ment of the pocket carries the ends of the In the machine described and shown in package between plates which extend along that application, previously formed packthe path of travel, whereby the labels are ages (containing coffee or other material) kept pressed against the end flaps until dry. are fed into the machine and covered with Finally, the pocket carrying the wrapped 20 a wrapper (of waxed or glassine paper) package comes opposite an ejecting plunger drawn from a roll from which a SUfiCleDt which slides the package endwise out of the length for one wrapper is cut. 05. This pocket onto a conveyer belt which carries it wrapper being held momentarily on a table, away. I a package is fed over it and forced *down- For a complete illustration and descrip- 25 ward by a plunger descending from above, tion of the machine thns briefly indicated, which pushes it down into a. pocket located reference is made to the application above just beneath such table, during whichmovereferred to. ment the wrapper is folded around three In the accompanying drawings so much sides of the package, leaving upstanding of the machine above described is shown as 30 flaps which are then folded down over the will enable the part of the mechanism to top of the package and folded together, which thepresent application is directed, whereby the wrapper forms an open-ended to be understood. tube enclosing the package and projecting Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the beyond the ends thereof. The pocket, w iich machine corresponding to Fig. 1 of said ap- 35 is one of a series carried by an endless chain plication, but omitting those parts not necesmoving intermittently, is then'advanced to sary to the understanding of the structure another position or station where the packherein claimed. ..I age is exactly centered in the wrappergand Fig. 2 is a plan view showing/partly in then successively to other stations, at one section so much of the mechanismindicated 40 of which the ends of the wrapper are folded at the right-hand side offFig. las:concerns in against the ends of the package by the the present inventionsg4(fllh-iseview1 correaction of a succession of folders, after which sponds to partofI Fig.i-.2;of; said! application, folding operations heated irons advance and partly.-.to; Fig. 16thereof)"; 5 $3 against the opposite ends and hold the folds Fig. 3 is aivertical:transverse:section-taken 4a from unfolding while softening the-wax generally..onctheiline.fiefiirinzisldigscl-.and':2. or other preparation in the paper to render 31 4tas\afragmentary/verticalitransverse the folded end flaps limp, so that they/will .sectionaona-larger;scale, inLtlre plane off the 10 not spring open. The pocket isothenad- :.line..:/l in EiggjQL (thiscorresponding;.to vanced to the next station, fixed guides. .en-

1:1.of:saidxappilication):;L 3.11;

5 0 gaging the end flaps and holdingtheinfrom Fig-5. is a simiflar,,ransversesectio'n'shownnfolding during this-x.-niovem'ent-.:.zLabels 'f' heapartsrin another:position,.thtpplane or seals are then appl edtto.the opposrteiends be ig-thatcf Figfl utthis; view coi respondof the package to sealtlown' the iend-lflaps. iilllgJ;Q E.1 g. l8;of; ardmppli atignap. 5-..:

Fig. 6 is a plan and horizontal section of the label magazine (the View corresponding to Fig. 19 of said application).

' Fig. 7 is a detail of the plates for holding the end flaos folded (corresponding to Fig. 43 of said application).

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the completed package with its label attached (being similar to Fig. 42 of said application).

In describing the drawings we will use the same numbers and letters of reference as in said prior application.

The packages to be wrapped are fed into the machine in any suitable manner and brought to the position of the package a in Fig. 1 over a pair of wings or trap doors 6 e which form a temporary support. The wrapping paper 7' is drawn from a roll f following the path indicated in Fig. 1, being cut off by shears B into wrappers, the severed wrapper resting momentarily on a table A.

A series of pockets or receptacles C C are connected by an endless chain D or other suitable intermittently-moving carrier, and are guided by guides E. Each pocket has a movable false bottom C. In the initial po sition a pocket stands directly beneath the package a in Fig. 1, with its false bottom elevated. The table A has at its middle a gap or opening directly beneath the package. A plunger m above the package descends and forces it down, causing the trap doors a c to swing downwardly; the package is pushed down through the gap in the table, carrying the wrapper with it, and is entered fully into the pocket, the false bottom C yielding to this movement. This operation folds the wrapper around three sides of the package, leaving two flaps of the wrapper projecting upwardly. Immediately these are folded down over the top of the package and their edges folded together. Thus the wrapper is formed into a tube enclosing the package with its open ends projecting beyond the ends of the package. The chain D then moves forward so as to bring the package to the position a in this position the package is centered within the tubular wrapper. At the next movement the package is brought to the position a in this station the projecting ends of the wrapper are folded inward to form end flaps lying against the ends of the package. This folding is accomplished by folder blades acting successively. As the last blade acts to complete the end folding, the heated iron or plate is moved against each end of the wrapper package, which keeps the folded end flaps from unfolding, and softens the flaps and renders them limp to prevent their springing out. At the next movement of the chain the package is brought to the position a. In moving to this position the ends of the package are received between plates 316 which bear against the edge of the package and prevent any possible turning out of the end t is in this position a that the end labels are applied.

These end labels 'v are of such size that they overlie the top and bottom end flaps of the waxed paper wrapper and thereby seal these flaps and prevent the unfolding of the wrapper. They are applied simultaneously to opposite ends by mechanism best shown in Figs. 3 to 6. As the mechanisms are duplicated at opposite ends, those for one end alone need be described. First the end flaps of the wrapped package are moistened with a suitable adhesive (or it may be with water alone if the labels are already gummed) by means of a swinging pad M carried on an arm projecting from an oscillating shaft M, and which in its upper position, shown in Figs. 3 and 4t, receives adhesive from a traveling roller N and then swings down to press against the end flaps and apply the adhesive thereto, as shown in Fig. 5. Immediately after the pad M swings up out of the way, a magazine P carrying the labels (which may be gummed or not) is moved forward, that is, toward and against the end of the wrapped package, being carried by a reciprocating slide Q. The magazine I is pressed yieldingly against the end of the package while the mass or stack of labels within it is pressed forward, so that the end label is caused to attach itself to the end flaps of the wrapper by reason of the adhesive (either that applied by the pad M or that with which the label was previously coated, or both); whereupon the magazine. P is carried back away from the package far enough to be out of the way of the next movement of the pad M.

The magazine P is yieldingly mounted in a carrier Q carried on the slide Q, the magazine backing through a cushion spring 20 against a head which is pressed forward by springs R R (Fig. (3)1 As the ma azine P strikes the end of the package it stops, while the parts Q and Q, continue to advance, the springs R R taking up this extra movement and holding the magazine against the package. The labels are pressed forward by a follower P within the magazine, which is swivelled on the end of a screw P which turns little by little in the head Q to advance the follower enough to compensate for the shortening of the stack of labels as these are fed off.

The label is so firmly pressed against the end of the package that it adheres thereto, and upon the withdrawal of the magazine on the back stroke of the slide, the edge of the label frees itself from the slightly int-urned end of the magazine and remains attached to the package.

Both theislide and the follower begin to move back before the magazine beginsto retreat, the magazine being held against the package a fraction of a second longer by theexpansion oi the spring 10. This action permits the follower to move back sutticiently to relieve the label stack or" any pressure which otherwise would tend to bind the labels against the restricted delivery end-of .the magazine and-prevent the ready withdrawal of the end label. The package is advanced by the next .imovement-of the pocket to the next stopping :position, and at each succeeding movement of the endless chain carrying the series of pocketsit is advanced, so that it. moves step by step tothe ejecting position indicated at .a in Fig. 1. Between the positions a and (a the end flaps and labels are dried, being held against any possible separation by .plates forming continuations ofthe plates .316. Then each package-reaches the ejecting position it ispushed' out by means of an ejecting plunger (not shown), the successsive packages .beingipushed along a trough ;U in which they travelv end to. end, as shown The drivingparts of .the machine co .1- prise a driving shaft 22, and driven shafts 26, 32-, 34,.and49, these shafts being suitably geared together. and. driven in unison, .and carrying. suitable cams for applying anovement to the operative parts of the machine. 'These motion-applyingelements are not herezillustrated in detail, reference being made to said prionapplication for an understanding thereof. It is necessary here to describe only the meansfor operating the parts shown in Figs. 3 to 6.

The application of gum, water or other liquid to the ends of the packages preliminary to applying the .end labels thereto, is accomplished by mechanism best shown in 'Figs. 2--6. On each side or" thepath of the pockets is a vessel 320 containing thin glue, paste or other adhesive, or even water. In these two vessels turn cylinders 321 mounted on a transverse shaft 322 which may be driven at any desired speed by a belt on one of thepulleys 323 (Fig. 3). The transfer ring rollers l already described, are mounted each on a bracket projecting from a re- ;ciprocating slide 32 1 moving longitudinally of the machine between the positions shown .111 full and. dotted lines in Fig. 2. The slides 32% are reciprocated by mechanism driven from a cam 325 1) on the shaft 3%, the cam roller being carried by a lever its free lower end connecting by a link 328 with an arm 329 (Fig. 2) or the lever 330, the outer end of the arm of which connects by a link 331 to one of the slides 324; the lever 329, 330, has also an arm 332 which engages through a pin and slot coupling with a simi- .lararm on another lever 33 (Fig. 2) which V fixed on the shaft 322.

communicates like movement through another-link 331 to the other of the slides 32%, so that these two slides move together and to like extent. hen the rolleriN is in contact with the cylinder 321, as seen in '2, i

it is desirable that it should be revolved otherwise than by such contact, and to this .end its shaft carries on the opposite end a friction roller 333 which in such position bears. against a friction drive whee As the rollers N are carried away from 321 they pass under the pads M and thereby transfer the glue or other liquid. thereto.

The applying, pads M are mounted on crank arms on rock shafts M", whereby. they swing down from the positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 to the positions shown inl full lines where they enter the openings 318 in the guide plates 316, and press'against the end flaps of the package so as to apply .adhesive (orotherliquid) thereto, dwelling a brief instant incontact therewith and then swinging back to theirdotted line positions. These swinging movements"are imparted by a cam-336 fixed on shaft 34: acting through lever 337 (Fig. 3) which connects by link 338 to. a vertically moving slide 339 I (Fig. a) sliding in a fixed frame 3&0 and having on its opposite sides upright racks 341 which mesh with pinions or sectors. 3&2 (Figs. 4 and 5), which pinions are fast on the ends of the shafts ii. Thus-the cam action drives the slide 339 up anddown, and its racks impart the necessary rotation of about degrees at eachmovement of the rock shafts.

The mechanism for applying the labels to the ends of the package is best shown in Figs. 4 and 6, and the driving means therefor in Figs. 3 and l. The operation of this mechanism has already been explained. Each of the slides Q, which carry the carriers Q for the magazines P, is reciprocated by movement taken from a cam 350 on the lower shaft 32, the cam roller being carried on a lever 351 having a slot and pin connection with another lever 351", which lovers transmit movement tothe respective slides through links 352, elbow levers 353 and links 354;, Fig. 3. :For turning little by little the screw P for propelling forward the follower P, the square shai't P attached thereto passes with a sliding connection through a square hole in the hub of a. worm wheel P which is turned by ;a worm 360 (Fig. 1.) on the shaft on which is a .pulley 361 driven bya belt from any convenient source, as, for example, a pulley 364: on one of the cam shafts 28 and 3a l ll) of the guide plates 316 which hold the labels pressed against the end flaps, as well as holding the latter pressed against the package. The packages are finally pushed out endwise by an ejecting pusher (not shown) along a trough U wherein their ends are pressed together, thereby prolonging the time during which the end flaps and labels are held in close contact.

The mechanism thus described accomplishes the operation of labeling the ends of the packages or other articles very effectively, and is quite automatic, except for the attention required in re-filling the magazines with labels, when the last of the latter are fed out. At this time it is necessary to screw back the feeding screw P to bring the follower to its initial position.

l/Vhile the machine has been described with great precision with respect to the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated it is to be understood that the invention may be varied to a considerable extent in mechanical respects, within the scope of the appended claims.

lVe claim as our invention:

1. Mechanism for applying adhering labels to an article, comprising a magazine carrying a stack of labels, a ollower for pressing against the stack of labels, a reciprocating carrier on which said magazine and follower are mounted, a slow-feed advancing means adapted to move said follower with respect to the said magazine to compensate for the diminution of the label stack, and a yielding means interposed between the label stack and said reciprocating carrier, whereby the labels may be pressed yieldingly against the article and without subjecting it to the impact of the reciprocating carrier.

2. Mechanism for applying adhering labels to an article, comprising a magazine for carrying a stack of labels, a follower for pressing against the stack of labels, a reciprocating carrier therefor having a fixed stroke and adapted to move said follower toward and from an article to be labeled, a yielding slow-feed follower-advancing means adapted to yieldingly move said follower relatively to said carrier to compensate for the diminution of the label stack and means said carrier, said yielding means tending to move the restricted delivery end of the magazine away from the said label follower whereby the edges of the labels are relieved from pressure tending to bind them against the said restricted delivery end of the magazine.

a. The combination of claim 3, further characterized in that a yielding connection is interposed between said follower and said carrier.

5. Mechanism for applying adhering labels to an article, comprising a magazine containing a stack of labels, a follower within the magazine, a reciprocating carrier for such magazine and follower, and slow-feed means reciprocating with the carrier and adapted to be continuously rotated from a non-reciprocating part of the mechanlsm.

6. Mechanism for applying adhering labels to an article, comprising a magazine containing a stack of labels, a follower within the magazine, a reciprocating carrier for such magazine and follower, and slow-feed means to compensate for the diminution of the label stack, said means comprising two screwthreaded elements having mutuallyengaging threads, both of said elements partaking of the reciprocating motion of said carrier and one of them slidably engaging a rotating means carried by a lined part of the mechanism, whereby a continuous rotary movement is transmitted from a nonreciprocating part of the mechanism to a reciprocating part of the slow-feed means.

7. Mechanism for applying adhering labels to an article, comprising a magazine containing a stack of labels, a follower within the magazine, a reciprocating carrier for such magazine and follower, and slowfeed means for advancing the follower with respect to the magazine to compensate for the diminution of the label stack, said means comprising two cooperating screwthreaded elements having mutually-engaging threads, said cooperating elements being interposed between said reciprocating carrier and the label follower, and rotating means to effect independently of the reciprocation of such carrier a relative rotation between said threaded elements.

The combination of claim 6, further characterized in that said rotating means comprises a worm-driven wheel slidably splined on one of said screwthreaded elements and held against axial displacement by a member attached to av fixed part of the mechanism, whereby the rotation of said wheel may be continuously imparted to said element regardless of the longitudinal displacement thereof.

9. Mechanism for applying adhering labels to an article comprising a. magazine having a restricted delivery end and containing a stack of labels, a follower for pressing against the stack of labels, and a reciprocating carrier on which said magae zine and follower are mounted, a slow-feed advancing means to compensate for the diminution of the label stack, and means adapted to momentarily continue the engagement of said magazine with the article to be labeled while said follower is being withdrawn, whereby the pressure on the label stack acting against the restricted delivery end of said magazine is reduced to facilitate the withdrawal of a label.

10. Mechanism for applying adhering labels to an article, comprising a magazine having a restricted delivery end and containing a stack of labels, a follower for pressing against said stack of labels, a re ciprocating carrier on which said magazine and follower are mounted, a slow-feed followeradvancing means adapted to move said follower relatively to said carrier, a yielding connection between said followeradvancing means and said magazine, and another yielding connection between said carrier and said follower-advancing means, both of said yielding connections being adapted to exert a force tending to move the magazine toward the article to be labeled.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names.

PAUL H. GRIMM. FRANK L. COCKS. 

